HeroScape is coming back!

[chas]

I still have a Lexan water map, and its occasionally useful. Also several sets of that Planeswalker basic terrain bases, although we don't usually use them.

 

[IAmBatman]

I still have a Lexan water map, and its occasionally useful. Also several sets of that Planeswalker basic terrain bases, although we don't usually use them.

What all of those great mats lack is community-accepted maps using them. One of the biggest things holding those back is a map program that lets you easily incorporate custom items. VS doesn't do the job.

Though I suppose on VS you can just put a bottom layer that roughly matches the mat.

 

[Matt Helm]

When I look at the actual words in the Renegade Press Release, I can't help but believe that this is a deal to release AoA rather than anything classic. Here's some direct quotes from the release:

"Originally proposed for relaunch in October 2022 by Avalon Hill on Hasbro Pulse’s crowdfunding platform, HasLab, fans shared an outpouring of support for the game’s revival. Now, the organizations have come together to usher in the long-awaited return of Heroscape for the hobby, mass, and specialty markets. Renegade will also partner with Hasbro Pulse to make Heroscape available to as wide an audience as possible."

"Fans will get to experience classic elements of the game they love with all-new content, alongside the introduction of terrain packs, faction boxes, and more. Going forward, Renegade hopes to introduce new models in a variety of configurations and price points for both new and hardcore Heroscape players."

Although their deal with Axis and Allies seems to have brought back the original sets, I really don't think the production cost for original Heroscope is viable today. First off, we heard that the original molds are gone so there would likely be significant cost in recreating them or at least designing official 3D printed models. Next, we all know the cost of painting miniatures was something that Hasbro themselves no longer wanted to do so I cannot imagine Renegade investing in it. Lastly, the cost of all the terrain in the master sets would be astronomical.

More than likely we will see the AoA set split up into a small master set and then terrain specific packs like jungle tree and interlocking wall packs. The new factions would have their own unpainted figure packs.

Now as far as reviving classic scape, I'm sure they could but only after they found the AoA release profitable. They could cut down on the cost of classic by:
- as others said make the lowest level of the maps on the same cardboard design as Planneswalkers. Therefore you'd only need to add much fewer tiles in the set for height and site blockers.
- make new molds for the figures but make them unpainted and cut down the total number to only enough for two preset armies without choices. The other figures can be sold in a terrain pack.
- For classic waves of commons they could release unpainted single squads (times 2, so 6 or 8 figures) and may even use a single mold for each figure.

Overall I'm not sure I see it viable for classic scape in it's original form and although their press release says "new models", I don't think that means newly designed units but rather new molds for already established designs. I'm just being realistic here.

 

[IAmBatman]

If I end up being able to get those walls and some more jungle trees without having to buy a bunch of figures I don't want, I'll call that a win

 

[chas]

Matt, this is more or less what I and others suggested upthread for AOA. My fear is that if its coming out on the Hasbro sales site, it may have the same outrageous pricing! Which I'd rather they saved for a prepainted option.

 

[IAmBatman]

I imagine it'll be more expensive per piece if it's broken up *and* licensed by a third party.

 

[chas]

Hmmm. Since I have a stable Scape group here, perhaps we'll take a club approach and each buy different things.

 

[brak88]

I feel that the "faction boxes" mentioning in the press release is a big hint for it being a release of the AoA figures.

If they were to start from scratch, I feel like they wouldn't go with the free different themed factions route instead of the hodge podge of anything and everything approach.

 

[Master Roshi]

I imagine it'll be more expensive per piece if it's broken up *and* licensed by a third party.

Right the content does need to be split up into separate offerings but not so much that it's too inconvenient for Renegade and drives the price up. If they're putting this in stores then it would take up too much space to put 10 different large box items on shelves

 

[Shurrig]

I feel like they could have two different master set offerings with the AoA figures split between them. One master set is like the Clockwork Combine vs. Nemesis War Brood and you get some terrain and the walls, the other is the Dryans vs. Eisenek and you get the jungle and even more terrain. then maybe you split the pirates between the two and you get a bunch of scenarios for each set (maybe extras for combining master sets?). Stretch goal figs would be cool to see in a master set but they could probably get more from selling them separately, same with the proposed kyries.

 

[yamissflash]

I know they said they "lost the molds" for the old Heroscape classic units, and I expect Hasbro still has molds for the DnD units...which likely is not included in the license, idk.

Anyway, I'm mentally prepared for no reprints unless it's using re-made molds/sculpts. Renegade could just go to the AllThingsHeroscape website and focus on the ones that sell for the highest cost.

Wizards of the Coast literally does this for their Modern Masters packs, reprinting valuable old cards and selling them in packs at a premium price – priced higher than a typical Standard pack.

Does anyone with experience with companies like Hasbro know more about what losing the molds probably means? Obviously they didn’t put a lot of effort into tracking them, but where do they typically get lost? Is it we never got them back from a factory, we scrapped them or they’re lost in a warehouse somewhere kind of thing?

 

[Shurrig]

Does anyone with experience with companies like Hasbro know more about what losing the molds probably means? Obviously they didn’t put a lot of effort into tracking them, but where do they typically get lost? Is it we never got them back from a factory, we scrapped them or they’re lost in a warehouse somewhere kind of thing?

My guess is they likely melted them all down since they weren’t using those molds any longer.

 

[nate the dawg]

Hmmm. Since I have a stable Scape group here, perhaps we'll take a club approach and each buy different things.

That's what my group always did back in the day. We'd coordinate to make sure we had set least two of each unique, 3+ of each common and as much terrain as we could afford.

It made for a heck of a collection! The only official figure we were missing was Woo, but we just repainted a monk and printed the card.

 

[Marz]

I would love to see some Zulus, Aztecs, Conquistadors, Amazons, Atlanteans, and maybe some Demons. Maybe some John Carter of Mars type figures would be cool as well.

 

[GaryLASQ]

Last year, someone said they had "found the molds" for reprinting terrain. I wonder if this includes "Fortress of the Archkyrie" pieces.

It's a great expansion in terms of concept and design, but the tight binding that happens many times, between wall section connections, and between the connections of battlements to wall-walk tiles, is quite aggravating.

I would be super-happy with an improved reprint of FotA at some point down the line. I doubt it would ever happen, but still...

 

[GaryLASQ]

I can definitely agree on the wish for an all-in-one rule book.

Same. How about a living rulebook that's just a PDF online that can be updated as all the different corner cases come up? I suppose that means we'll need a dedicated rules team to make decisions on stuff like that as well.

All the different corner cases? With hundreds of unique powers, do you have any idea how many that is? Take a look at the Checklist for an idea. The rulebook could certainly be more comprehensive, I definitely believe that, but unusual interactions are better left in a FAQ (even if that's part of the rulebook) as opposed to cluttering the main rules.

Oh of course, which is also why I said online PDF. My bad for using RB and FAQ interchangeably.

Yes, an online living FAQ would be great, especially as new units are released.

And yeah, the rulebook could really use a good rework.

Agreed. I've never felt comfortable with the compiled rules webpage on my site. I mainly did it for myself, for the convenience of it. It's the last thing I added to the site (other than a couple more of my battlefields). Would be nice if Renegade gave us something better, that was compiled like this (or something similar). If they did, I would remove this from my site and just link to their PDF(s).

 

[Sir Heroscape]

I would love to see some Zulus, Aztecs, Conquistadors, Amazons, Atlanteans, and maybe some Demons. Maybe some John Carter of Mars type figures would be cool as well.

All of this ^. Yes please

 

[Shurrig]

Might be a bit out there for me, but it could be cool to explore some of those public domain characters (like John carter). I know C3V and even the classic game had public domain characters or one's inspired by them. My top picks would have to be King Kong, Cheshire Cat, Beowulf, and Jekyll/Hyde.

 

[Cyborgs Gaming]

Might be a bit out there for me, but it could be cool to explore some of those public domain characters (like John carter). I know C3V and even the classic game had public domain characters or one's inspired by them. My top picks would have to be King Kong, Cheshire Cat, Beowulf, and Jekyll/Hyde.

I have to add something in particular to this list:

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyah wgah'nagl fhatagn.

 

[wriggz]

Might be a bit out there for me, but it could be cool to explore some of those public domain characters (like John carter). I know C3V and even the classic game had public domain characters or one's inspired by them. My top picks would have to be King Kong, Cheshire Cat, Beowulf, and Jekyll/Hyde.

This is why I love unmatched, a great place for all you public domain needs.